The Los Angeles Lakers have kicked off their season with a 2-2 record, which surely won't be the telling tale by the end of the regular season. Along with bringing aboard some newcomers to aid their efforts in repeating for a championship, the coaching staff has to carefully monitor the minutes of its co-stars in LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
With only one week out of the way, spectators are only awarded a small platter to dissect in regards to how much improvement the Lakers have made coming into the 2020-21 season. It's far too soon to jump the gun on their seventh seed placement in the Western Conference at the moment, and things should become more transparent after the early-season jitters work their way out of the Lakers' system.
While that may be true, there are some early signs of what's to come this season for LA. Here are a few takeaways from the Lakers' first week of the 2020-21 season.
3. The Horton-Tucker hype train is real
Many analytical experts would be quick to tell viewers from home to not rush to judgement from preseason outings. Talen Horton-Tucker has shown that his game can transition from preseason to the regular season despite his lack of playing time. The 20-year old was expected to see some additional floor time coming into the season, but that hasn't happened yet.
Even so, he's shooting 37 percent from 3-point range while averaging 7.3 points per game on less minutes than last season. His highest scoring output came against the Minnesota Timberwolves in which he dropped 12 points while connecting on 40 percent of his 3-point attempts.
Keep in mind, Horton-Tucker is making this all happen on an average of 12 minutes per game. The Iowa State product averaged 20.5 points through four preseason games on an average of 31.6 MPG. Those are considered starter minutes, which Horton-Tucker won't see anytime soon with the Lakers, but if head coach Frank Vogel wants to continue to make the most out of his newly found gem, he should look into increasing his minutes.
2. The jury is still out on Kuz
Lakers brass clearly believes that Kyle Kuzma can still become an important contributor for the franchise despite his stagnant production last season as he adjusted to a lesser role. Now as the Lakers look to repeat for their 18th title in franchise, Kuzma has become one of the more critical parts of their success.
Looking at his first week, there's still no clear answer as to what Kuzma will evolve into in the future, which was obvious as the Lakers banked on a team-friendly extension for the 25-year old forward. At one moment, Kuzma shows has looked promising as he's showcased during his first three games, averaging 16 points on a 55 percent shooting clip.
His latest performance against the Portland Trail Blazers is what brings back all the familiar worries. He finished with only six points while shooting 22 percent from the field. The Lakers will also want to see the scoring wing evolve his game all-around. He's not known for being an efficient distributor on the floor, which could make up for some of his off-shooting nights.
For instance, Kuzma averaged a plus-minus of 15.3 through his first three games, which could suggest that he was an exceptional contributor while on the floor. That same plus-minus dropped to -23 against the Trail Blazers. There's simply going to be more consistency needed from Kuzma moving forward if he's going to become a key piece of the rotation. With a new contract, the hope is that Kuz can elevate his game.
1. LeBron, AD resting will become the norm
There was no doubt that the Lakers' star James-Davis duo would be on a heavy amount of load management this season. Now it appears that most teams are following that model for their star players. It's rare to see star players this season play in multiple back-to-backs in an already-shortened season. Most medical teams are taking precautions with the risks of injuries on the front.
While both King James and The Brow dealt with some nagging injuries during the first week, expect the idea of them regularly sitting out to become somewhat of the norm when optional. The Lakers, like every other team, will be dealing with some back-to-backs frequently as the league continues limiting cross-country travel as much as possible.
In all actuality, the rest for James could be beneficial. He turned 36 on Wednesday, is now in his 18th season with quite a bit of miles on him. He's still an impactful force from all over the court and the Lakers will look to preserve his best as James continues to age.
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